Iceland Part 2 – The 66th Parallel North

by sebastien on June 4, 2012

This is the very last post of images from our trip in the summer of 2010. It took me a long time (almost two years!) to finally complete all the editing and publishing of these images, and I'm glad to be able to put it behind me and look forward to new adventures. Click on through to see the pictures and some notes from my wonderful wife Sejin.

These are some of my most epic landscape pictures, and the credit for that goes mostly to the fact that Iceland is a paradise of beautiful landscapes that just beg to be photographed. As for the title of the post, this was my first time visiting the 66th parallel north, which is just 60kms south of the Arctic Circle. The only part of Iceland that actually exists in the Arctic Circle is the small island Grímsey just north of the mainland that straddles the Arctic line. The Jeep couldn't get there, too bad...

For years and years, this place must not have changed that much. I see less human, less industry, less community, less transportation, less noise but more sheep, more field, more ice, more gas from the earth, and more skies.

-Sejin

Before the sunrise, we rubbed our heavy eyes and hit the road to catch up to the end of the summer coast line. We were rapid nomads with the Jeep we rented. When the sun showed up it started to hit the empty highway and spreaded the golden shades everywhere our eyes can reach.

-Sejin

Human architecture could never challenge nature itself.

-Sejin

If you are patient enough, the sunlight will shine on your face soon.

-Sejin

If the globe is your head, Iceland is your nose. It shows that you are still alive whenever you breath. It pumps out steam when it's angry too. When the earth sneeze, a big waterfall comes out from the ground without any warning.

-Sejin

The storyboard above is of the beautiful picturesque town of Húsavík, the only part of our trip that was north of the 66th parallel. It was such a calm and quiet town. If I go back to Iceland, I'd like to spend some time relaxing in that town, and maybe take part in some whale watching, which the town is well known for.

A quiet small fishing town where the tourist season has passed. All they have is sheep or ship now.

-Sejin

When you give a second look, the sun makes a trick here and there and edits the scenery without the photographer's permission.

-Sejin

The sheep is the major form of entertainment in Iceland and they should make it a must-see item for it's tour (Although, I don't think it's legal). Whenever we would find a sheep or a herd of sheep, Sebastien started to honk. It's a way to let them know that we are here! "Hey! Hello! How are you, sheep family?" Then, anytime one of them would start to run in the field to avoid our Jeep, thinking that we are going to get close to them, the others would also run frantically, a domino effect. We laughed so hard thinking that this should continue the entire trip in Iceland. The three sheep in the picture ran their asses off and their tails off to stay ahead of our Jeep! They must have ran with us for 1km and left us laughing for the entire day.

-Sejin

As always, if you would like to see the other photos from this trip, please see the album posted on Facebook. Take care for now!